Since Mark Mangino was named Kansas University’s head football coach last December, the former Kansas State and Oklahoma assistant has been the center of attention.

But Mangino, who was named the nation’s top aide in 2000 after OU won the national title, knows he will need plenty of help to turn around a Kansas program that hasn’t had a winning season since 1995. And that means having a quality staff.

“I wanted to find people that wanted to be at Kansas, and I believe we were successful in that area,” Mangino said of his assistant coaches. “I wanted coaches who knew we were going to be on the ground floor of a program that has been down a little bit.”

The new staff has challenges. The Jayhawks ranked last in the Big 12 Conference last season in scoring offense (16.5 points per game) and scoring defense (36.2 ppg.). That woeful combination led to a 3-8 finish and cost coach Terry Allen his job.

“You have to stay strong,” Mangino said. “You have to believe in your players and one another, and I think we have that with this staff.”

Mangino retained two aides from Allen’s staff  running backs coach and special teams coordinator Clint Bowen and defensive ends coach Travis Jones.

Many of the first-year assistants have ties to either Mangino or defensive coordinator Bill Young.

Offensive coordinator Nick Quartaro was associate head coach at Kansas State in the early 1990s when Mangino was an assistant there. And offensive line coach Ken Conatser worked with Mangino at Youngstown State in 1986 when Mangino was beginning his coaching career.

Tight ends coach Brandon Blaney, in his first year as a full-time coach, was Mangino’s graduate assistant from 1999 to 2000 at Oklahoma.

Secondary coach Pat Henderson, a former KU player like Bowen, worked with Young at Arizona State in the 1980s. Linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator Dave Doeren was a graduate assistant at Southern Cal when Young was defensive coordinator there in 1998 and 1999.

“They’re all good teachers,” Mangino said. “They’re all guys that care about their players, and they’re guys that demand a lot. They hold a high standard for their players.”

KU assistant football coaches at a glance

Nick Quartaro

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Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks

Age: 46

Hometown: Geneva, N.Y.

Education: Iowa, 1977.

Wife: Stephanie.

Children: Andria and Tony.

Playing experience: Xavier 1973, Iowa 1974-76. Quartaro played defensive end and kicker for a year at Xavier before transferring to Iowa, where he was the Hawkeyes’ kicker for three seasons. He finished his playing career ranked second on Iowa’s all-time scoring list. He was an academic All-Big Ten selection as a junior.

Coaching resume: 1977 Â Hobart College (N.Y.), defensive backs; 1978 Â Iowa graduate assistant, linebackers; 1979 Â Hobart College, receivers; 1980 Â New Hampton High (Iowa), head coach; 1981-85 Â Northwestern, defensive line, secondary, special teams; 1986-88 Â Drake, head coach; 1989-93 Â Kansas State, associate head coach; 1994-97 Â Fordham, head coach; 1998-01 Â Iowa State, assistant head coach, receivers.

Bowl games as coach: 1993 Copper Bowl, Kansas State; 2000 Insight.com Bowl, Iowa State; 2001 Independence Bowl, Iowa State.

Coaching ties: Worked with Mangino on Bill Snyder’s Kansas State staff from 1991-1993.

Noting Quartaro: No stranger to building programs in the Big Eight and Big 12, Quartaro helped Snyder and Iowa State’s Dan McCarney turn cellar dwellers into bowl teams. … Worked for former Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green at Northwestern. … Prominent players coached include NFL All-Pro Steve Tasker, who played at Northwestern.

Salary: $141,500.

Bill Young

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Defensive coordinator/defensive tackles

Age: 55.

Hometown: Oklahoma City.

Education: Oklahoma State 1968; Central Oklahoma 1971 (graduate degree).

Wife: Lawana.

Playing experience: Oklahoma State 1965-1968. Young played linebacker and defensive end for the Cowboys. He led the Pokes in interceptions in 1965 and was an academic All-Big Eight selection as a senior.

Coaching resume: 1968-69 Â Oklahoma State JV, offense, defensive line; 1969-70 Â Oklahoma City Carl Albert High, defensive line; 1970-76 Â Putnam City (Okla.) West High, defensive coordinator; 1976-78 Â Oklahoma State, offensive and defensive lines; 1979-80 Â Iowa State, defensive tackles; 1980-85 Â Tulsa, defensive coordinator, defensive line; 1985-88 Â Arizona State, defensive line; 1988-95 Â Ohio State, defensive coordinator, defensive line; 1995-96 Â Oklahoma, defensive coordinator, defensive tackles; 1997-2000 Â Southern Cal, defensive coordinator; 2001 Â Detroit Lions, defensive line.

Bowl games as coach: 1976 Tangerine Bowl, Oklahoma State; 1985 Holiday Bowl, Arizona State; 1987 Rose Bowl, Arizona State; 1988 Freedom Bowl, Arizona State; 1989 Blue/Grey Bowl, Ohio State; 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl, Ohio State; 1991 Liberty Bowl, Ohio State; 1992 Hall of Fame Bowl, Ohio State; 1993 Holiday Bowl, Ohio State; 1995 Citrus Bowl, Ohio State; 1996 Citrus Bowl, Ohio State; 1998 Sun Bowl, USC.

Coaching ties: Young worked under former Kansas assistant John Cooper when Cooper was head coach at Tulsa, Arizona State and Ohio State.

Noting Young: Young is entering his 34th season as a coach and 17th as a defensive coordinator. … He has mentored 31 players who went on to the NFL.

Salary: $141,500.

Ken Conatser

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Offensive line

Age: 61.

Hometown: Cincinnati.

Education: Cincinnati 1962, 1965 (graduate degree).

Wife: Carole.

Children: Dean.

Playing experience: Cincinnati 1958-62.

Coaching resume: 1963-64 Â Western Hills High (Ohio), assistant; 1964-65 Â Cincinnati, graduate assistant; 1965-70 Â Harrison High (Ohio), head coach; 1970-71 Â Western Hills High, head coach; 1971-72 Â Massachusetts, offensive line; 1972-77 Â Milford High (Ohio), head coach; 1977-80 Â UMass, offensive line; 1981-83 Â Syracuse, offensive line; 1984-85 Â San Diego State ,offensive line; 1986-00 Â Youngstown State, offensive coordinator, offensive line, defensive coordinator, linebackers, assistant head coach; 2001 Â Ohio State, special teams coordinator, defensive ends.

Coaching ties: Conatser worked with Mangino in 1986 on Jim Tressel’s staff at Youngstown State. He worked for Tressel for 15 years at Youngstown State and last year at Ohio State.

Bowl games as coach: 2001 Outback Bowl, Ohio State.

Noting Conatser: Helped Youngstown State reach Division I-AA playoffs 10 times in 15 seasons. The Penguins played in six national title games, winning four.

Salary: $107,500.

Pat Henderson

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Secondary

Age: 50.

Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.

Education: Kansas 1975; Nebraska-Omaha 1980 (graduate degree).

Wife: Mary.

Children: Brian, Jeff and Kelli.

Playing experience: Kansas 1972-74.

Coaching resume: 1985-89 Â Arizona State, secondary; 1990-93 Â Purdue, special teams coordinator, defensive ends, defensive backs; 1994-96 Â Texas Christian, defensive coordinator; 1997-99 Â Tulsa, defensive coordinator, linebackers; 2000-2001 Â Southern Methodist, special teams coordinator, secondary.

Coaching ties: Worked on Cooper’s Arizona State staff with Young.

Bowl games as coach: 1986 Holiday Bowl, Arizona State; 1987 Rose Bowl, Arizona State; 1988 Freedom Bowl, Arizona State; 1995 Independence Bowl, TCU.

Noting Henderson: Played linebacker for coach Don Fambrough at Kansas. … Has coached 14 players who went to the NFL.

Salary: $107,500.

Dave Doeren

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Linebackers/recruiting coordinator

Age: 30.

Hometown: Overland Park.

Education: Drake 1994.

Wife: Sara.

Children: Jacob and Luke.

Playing experience: Drake 1991-94.

Coaching resume: 1994 Â Shawnee Mission Northwest, receivers, defensive line; 1995-97 Â Drake, defensive coordinator, linebackers, secondary; 1998-99 Â Southern California, graduate assistant for defensive backs; 2000-01 Â Montana, secondary, recruiting coordinator.

Coaching ties: Worked as a graduate assistant at USC when Young was Trojans’ defensive coordinator.

Bowl games as coach: 1998 Sun Bowl, USC.

Noting Doeren: Coached two All-American defensive backs at Montana. In his two seasons, the Grizzlies were 28-3, won two conference titles, reached two national title games and won one national championship. … Academic All-American at Drake.

Salary: $88,500.

Travis Jones

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Defensive ends

Age: 30

Hometown: Irwinton, Ga.

Education: Georgia 1995, 1998 (graduate degree).

Wife: Melody.

Playing experience: Georgia 1990-94; Baltimore Stallions (Canadian Football League) 1995; Florida Bobcats (Arena Football League) 1996.

Coaching resume: 1997 Â Georgia, defensive line; 1998-2000 Â Appalachian State, linebackers, recruiting coordinator; 2001 Â Kansas, defensive line.

Bowl games as player: 1991 Independence Bowl, Georgia; 1992 Citrus Bowl, Georgia.

Bowl games as coach: 1997 Outback Bowl, Georgia.

Noting Jones: Helped Appalachian State reach Division I-AA playoffs three straight years. … One of two holdovers from Terry Allen’s Kansas University staff. … Also worked as compliance assistant and assistant academic counselor at University of Georgia.

Salary: $88,500.

Clint Bowen

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Running backs/ special teams coordinator

Age: 30

Hometown: Lawrence

Education: Kansas 1994.

Wife: Kristie.

Playing experience: Butler County Community College 1991; Kansas 1990, 1992-93.

Coaching resume: 1997 Â Minnesota, graduate assistant, defense; 1998-99 Â Kansas, graduate assistant; 1999 Â Topeka Knights (Indoor Football League), head coach; 2000 Â Kansas, assistant director of football operations; 2001 Â Kansas, tight ends, special teams coordinator.

Coaching ties: Started his coaching career as graduate assistant under former KU coach Glen Mason at Minnesota. He and brother Charley played for Mason at Kansas. … One of two holdovers from last year’s staff.

Bowl games as player: 1992 Aloha Bowl, Kansas.

Noting Bowen: Wife Kristie is former Miss Kansas USA. … His team-leading 114 tackles in 1993 was the third-highest total ever by a KU defensive back.

Salary: $79,500.

Tyrone Dixon

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Wide receivers

Age: 37

Hometown: Aliquippa, Pa.

Education: Indiana (Pa.) 1986. 1987 (graduate degree).

Wife: Noble.

Children: Daughters Amera, Tyana, Noble II and Nicoya.

Playing experience: Indiana (Pa.) 1982-86.

Coaching resume: 1986-87 Â Indiana (Pa.), graduate assistant; 1987 Â Indiana (Pa.), running backs; 1990-91 Â Akron, special teams coordinator, receivers; 1992 Â Temple, receivers; 1993 Â James Madison, special teams coordinator, receivers; 1993-96 Â Houston, receivers; 1997 Â San Diego Chargers, receivers; 1998-99 Â Houston, receivers; 2000-2001 Â Cincinnati, receivers.

Bowl games as coach: 1999 Motor City Bowl, Cincinnati; 2000 Motor City Bowl, Cincinnati.

Noting Dixon: Coached All-Conference USA selection LaDaris Vann, Cincinnati’s all-time leading receiver.

Salary: $102,500.

Brandon Blaney

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Tight ends

Age: 26.

Hometown: Lamar, Mo.

Education: Youngstown State, 1999.

Family: Single.

Playing experience: None. Started career as student assistant at Youngstown State.

Coaching resume: 1995-98 Â Youngstown State, student assistant; 1999-2000 Â Oklahoma, graduate assistant for offensive line; 2001 Â Ohio State, graduate assistant for linebackers.

Coaching ties: Was Mangino’s graduate assistant at Oklahoma. … Worked for Mangino’s former boss, Jim Tressel, at Youngstown State and Ohio State. … Served on same Ohio State staff as fellow Kansas assistant Ken Conatser last season.

Bowl games as coach: 1999 Independence Bowl, Oklahoma; 2000 Orange Bowl, Oklahoma.

Noting Blaney: Played a role in national championship teams at Youngstown State and Oklahoma.

Salary: $79,500.